Free for All: The Five Best Free Events in Denver This Week

Thanksgiving week, Denver’s creative community is offering up a cornucopia of events that will leave residents stuffed with good times. Whether people want to get their hands on a new comic book, guffaw the night away at a chaotic comedy show or bask in holiday light, there’s enough great entertainment this week to make anyone grateful. The fact that the five following events are free is just gravy.

Transgender Day of Remembrance
Monday, November 20
Multiple locations
Founded in 1998 as a memorial for Rita Hester, a trans woman whose murder has yet to be solved by the Boston police department, the Transgender Day of Remembrance is now recognized in over twenty countries. Indeed, Denver’s own city council – in an effort spearheaded by Robin Kniech, the council’s first openly gay member – voted unanimously to recognize Monday, November 20, as a day to honor victims of anti-trans violence in a recent proclamation. While the general public is steadily becoming more aware of and sensitive to issues faced by trans people, lawmakers have also redoubled their efforts to bar trans people from serving in the military or legislate which bathrooms they can use. There are a number of venues around the city offering Transgender Day of Remembrance events, including a candlelight vigil at Denver East High School and an event that blends elements of Día de los Muertos ofrendas traditions into the ceremonies.

Teen Movie Night: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Monday, November 20, 7 to 10 p.m.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Something of a lost art in today’s franchise-clogged film marketplace, the greatest coming-of-age teen comedies endure long after a movie’s once-fresh-faced stars reach their golden years. Such is the case with Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, directed by John Hughes, cinema history’s greatest bard of teen angst. Enjoy a free screening of the ’80s classic, along with free popcorn, candy, and soda at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Teen Movie Night. Though admission is free, guests must RSVP on the DMNS box office page.

Doomsday Clock Midnight Release Party
Tuesday, November 21, midnight
Time Warp Comics
Few titles in recent comics history have generated as much hubbub as DC Comics’ upcoming release, Doomsday Clock. Though details about the new miniseries, a continuation of DC’s Rebirth line, have been relatively scarce, it’s a mashup of The Watchmen mythos and the broader DC multiverse. Though auterist purists may object to Geff Johns’s adaptations of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s metaphysical mindfuck of a graphic novel, many readers may find the prospect of Dr. Manhattan squaring off with Superman – gloriously rendered by penciller Gary Frank and colorist Brad Anderson – too irresistible to pass up. Boulder’s Time Warp Comics is celebrating Doomsday Clock‘s world-melding publication with a midnight release party, giving night owls an opportunity to snatch a copy of the first issue before the waking world wises up. Guests can also get an early start on new-comic day while enjoying a 10 percent discount. Find more details on Time Warp’s Facebook events page.

The Doom Room
Wednesday, November 22, 8 p.m.
Ratio Beerworks
Ratio Comedy staple the Doom Room calls upon comedians to be funny without the safety net of their joke books, as they riff on a random assortment of topics, all while being heckled by the Darth Vader-esque voice of doom (Nick Gossert of Lucha Libre & Laughs). It’s a steep challenge, and some of the performers ride a wave of laughter from the beery crowd while others crumble by the second prompt. For a performer, the show is a nerve-racking trial by fire, but for audiences who love a healthy dollop of schadenfreude with their jokes, there’s no better place n town. Hosted by Ratio Comedy regulars Andrew Bueno and Ian Douglas Terry, the showcase on Wednesday, November 22, spotlights local doom-dabblers Piper Shepherd, John Papaioannou, Aaron Wentz, Lila Bear, Grayson Nite and Priscilla Spangler. Visit Doom Room’s Facebook events page to learn more.

Grand Illumination of Union Station
Friday, November 24, 5 to 7 p.m.
Union Station
As the hordes of deal-crazed shoppers can attest, the holiday season is fully under way. While the ubiquity of Christmas music and widespread consumerist mania can make the season feel almost oppressively cheerful, even the Grinchiest Scrooges and Scroogiest Grinches can’t deny the visual splendor of the season’s decorations. See a local landmark, resplendent with holiday lights, for the first time in 2017 at the Grand Illumination of Union Station on Friday, November 24. In addition to the joy of watching the lights turn on, visitors can marvel at live ice sculptors, jockey for a chance to meet Santa, and mix, mingle and jingle while sipping hot cocoa. Visit Union Station’s Facebook events page to find out more.

Looking for more to do? Visit Westword‘s calendar online.